In an effort to prevent premature pullouts, nasoenteric tubes are often fixed in place using a wide variety of bridling systems. Most of these systems are difficult to place in the patient, requiring great dexterity by the physician and present unusual discomfort for the patient.
Known bridle systems have already proven to be of great value for hospitals and typically lead to better patient outcomes. The quick and easy placement of the bridle in a patient, the lack of adhesive on the patient's face, and the “negative feedback” (aka: self-induced pain) associated with patient attempts to extubate themselves are the hallmarks of known bridle systems. Example conventional bridle systems are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,631,715 and 6,837,237 to Kirn. One example bridle system presently in use is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 7,534,228 to Williams, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.